Self-sealing can.



J. F. ROSS.

- SELF SEALING- CAN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1908.

941 ,729. Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Wl'lnesses. [Aviva/0n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FORSTER ROSS, TORONTO, ONTARIO,

CANADA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-THIRD T0 WILLIAM EDWIN ROSS, ONE-THIRD T0 PERCYFORSTER ROSS; AND ONE-THIRD T0 CHARLES FRED VAN HORNE, ALL OF TORONTO,CANADA. I

SELF-SEALING CAN.

Specificationof Letters rarest.

Patented Nov. 309, i909.

Application filed August 4, 1908. Serial No. 446,954. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN l onsrna Ross, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and resident of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, inthe Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have inventedcertainnew and useful Improvements in Self-Sealing Cans, of which the followingis a specification. 7

The lnvention relates to improvements in tive burnished beltsregistering and forming an effective joint.

The object of the invention is to devise a can which when sealed isperfectly air and oil tight, and from which the cover may be easily andquickly removed and replaced, always maintaining a perfect fit.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved canshowing the cover apart and ready to be placed therein. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view of the can, showing the cover in place. Fig. 3is a horizontal sectional view of the can body through the line A-B Fig.2, showing the reinforced portion of the lock seam exaggerated. Fig. 4is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the can body considerablyexaggerated showing the method of forming the burnished belt. Fig. 5 isan en- I larged sectional view of a portion of the can body and covershowing the thickness of the metal considerably exaggerated and thecover in its relative posltion and about to be inserted in the can.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the can body formed to the desired shapeand size and having the ends of the side wall portion secured togetherin a lock seam 2.

3 is a recess formed in the inner wall of the can adjacent to the topand extending across the joint in the inside of the can formed by thelock seam 2. In forming the recess 3 the metal is pressed outwardlyforming a bridge 4 extending from the outer face 5 of the said lock seamand merging into the general contour of the can, said bridge spanningthe depression 5 formed in the metal in the lock seaming operation.

The bridge at is preferably formed coincidently with the forming of theseam by a projection formed on the horn on which the can is held duringthe operation of forming the lock seam, which presses the metaloutwardly into a suitable recess cut in the seam forming die, but itmust be understood that the said bridge may be formed in a separateoperation by pressing the metal outwardly after the seam is formed, ifit is so desired.

The can body is flared outwardly from a point above the bridge 4 forminga bell shaped mouth and a bead 6 is formed on the outer edge.

The lock seam 2 is soldered securely and the recess 3 is completelyfilled in, the soldering material filling said recess being raised abovethe inner surface of the can.

7 is an annular ring or belt projecting inwardly slightly beyond theinner surface of the can in circumferential alinement with the bridge 4.

The surface of the ring 7 'is burnished so that all irregularities arecompletely effaced, and the surplus solder, filling in the recess 3 iscleaned away so that the said solder forms a continuation of theburnished belt across the seam of the can.

In the joint operation of burnishing the.

belt 7 and clearing away the surplus solder from the recess 3 the can isheld on the outside by rigid gripping jaws 8 (shown in Fig. 4) whichgrip the can adjacent to the top in alinement with the bridge 4 andcontract the metal slightly raising the belt 7 on the 1nside surface ofthe can. The jaws 8 are of course cut away to avoid contact with thelock seam and bridge 3, but extend completely around the remainingportion of the can.

The punch 9 is inserted in the can, and as it moves inwardly past thegripping jaws 8, the metal forming the belt 7 is compressed between thesaid punch and the said jaws,

fectly smooth. The circle of the burnished belt is com leted by thesolder in the recess 3 the surp us solder being removed by said punch inits inward travel.

The bridge 4: extending from the back of the lock across the depression5 and gradually merging inwardly to the contour of the can, offers thesame resistance to the expanding pressure of the inwardly movingdie asdoes the remaining portion of the can and obviates any possibility ofthe outward pressure of the said die cracking the solder filling therecess 3. The recess-being cupped presents a tapering inner surface towhich the solder adheres securely.

The burnishing punch is slightly smaller than the internal diameter ofthe can, consequently the belt 7 forms a raised burnished surface fromwhich all inequalities are effaced, said surface projecting inwardlyslightly beyond the innersurface of the can.

The preferable method of forming the burnished belt on the inner wall ofthe can is herein shown and described but other waysof forming a surfacefinished annular belt extending completely around the inner wall ofthecan may be devised without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

10 is a flexible bottom secured to the side wall portions of the canbody in a double lock seam 11.

12 is the cover formed of sheet metal and having an annular groove 13formed in the side thereof and the downwardly extending flange 14:compressed and burnished on its outer surface and turned inwardly at thebottom edge 15.

The flange 14 of the cover is formed with parallel sides and of adiameter slightly larger than the internal diameter of the burnishedbelt portion of the can body. The difference in diameter between thesaid burnished belt portion and the burnished outer periphery of thesaid cover flange is sufficient to insure a perfect contact between thetwo burnished surfaces and to cause suflicient pressure on the cover,when forced into place, to hold it securely against accidental removal.

The inturned lower edge 15 of the cover insures its ready insertion inthe can and also obviates any possibility of the burnished belt beingmarred or cut by the flange of said cover when being pressed into place.

The style of cover shown and described is the preferable form, as it caneasily and quickly be removed without injury, by inserting a coin or anysuitable instrument into the annular groove 13 and prying upwardlyagainst the top edge of the can. As the cover is not injured in removal,it may be removed and replaced as often as desired always making aneffective joint.

One style of cover is shown, but it must be understood that other stylesmay be used so long as a burnished belt, free from surfaceirregularities, is formed thereon to register with the burnished belt inthe can body.

16 is a circumferential groove formed in the can body below theburnished belt, forming a load line to indicate the height to which thecan should be filled.

In the use of this can, the spring bottom is pressed upwardly into theposition, shown in Fig. 2 and the, material placed therein, filling thecan to the load line. The cover is then placed in position and forceddownwardly until the burnished parallel sides thereof register with theburnished belt in the can, thus forming a perfect air and oil tightjoint. The contents of the can will thus keep in perfect condition andcannot either leak out or become affected by outside conditions.

The load line 16 is arranged below the burnished belt, consequentlythere will be a considerable air space between the contents of thepackage and the top of the cover,but if there is any undue pressureinside the can when the cover is driven home, the spring bottom springsoutwardly as shown in the dotted line in Fig. 2 thus relieving anypressure against the lid.

Another and Very important feature of this can is that the contents canbe easily removed as there are no inwardly projecting flanges or ledges.Further, there are no sharp or ragged edges to injure the lingers.

A can of this description may be used forv a great many purposes, 'notonly to retain liquids in such a manner that the contents are preservedfrom evaporation and leakage but foods, tobaccos and other stuffs, whichrequire to be kept perfectly air tight and free from moisture.

The peculiar formation of the cover which allows its removal withoutinjury greatly enhances the value of the can, as it can be used to greatadvantage for packaging goods such as tea and coffee and other goodswhich require to be kept air tight and yet be easily accessible.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a self sealing can, a body havinga portion thereof adjacent to the top compressed and surface-finished sohat all irregularities are smoothed out, said surfacefinished portionforming a continuous, unbroken and regular surface on said inner wall,and a cover having its. flange portion compressed and surface-finishedwith all irregularities smoothed out and formin a continuous, unbrokenand regular surface adapted to register with the surface finishedportion of said body and form an air and liquid tight joint therewith.

2. In a self sealing can, a body portion having an annular belt bulgingslightly inwardly, and arranged adjacent to the top said belt having itsinner surface free from irregularities, and forming acontinuous unbrokensurface around the inner wall of said body portion and acover having theouter surface of its flange portion free from irregularities'and forminga continuous unbroken surface adapted to contact with the unbrokensurface of said belt in the body portion.

3. In a self sealing can, a body portion formed with an external lockseam and having an annular belt adjacent to the top bulging slightlyinwardly and a narrow bridge extending from the outer surface of saidlock seam and merging into the contour of the can and forming a recessin the inner wall of the can in circumferential alinement with saidannular belt, a filling of solder in said recess raised above the innersurface of said body and completing said annular belt, and a coverhaving the outer wall-of its flange burnished and forming an unbrokensurface adapted to contact with the surface of said annular belt in thebody portion.

4. In a self sealing can, a body portion formed with an externallock'seam reinforced at a point adjacent to the top and having anannular belt bulging slightly inwardly and in alinement with saidreinforcement, a. filling of solder closing said seam at the reinforcedpoint and raised above the inner surface of the can and completing thesaid annular belt, said annular belthaving its innersurface burnishedand all irregularities removed therefrom and a cover having a flangewith a burnished outer surface contacting with the continuous burnishedbelt in the body portion.

5. In a self sealing can, a body portion having a flexible bottom andan'inwardly bulging annular belt forming a continuous smooth and regularsurface around the said body portion arranged adjacent to the topthereof, and a cover having a flange with a smooth regular outer surfaceadapted to contact with the said smooth regular in- Wardly bulgingsurface in the body portion.

6. In a self sealing can, av body portion having an annular belt bulginginwardly from the inner surface thereof adjacent to the top and forminga continuous smooth and regular raised surface; and a cover having theflange portion formed with parallel sides and a smooth and regular outersurface said flange being turned slightly inward at the bottom edgethereof and fitting into said body portion.

7. In a self sealing can, a body portion having an annular belt bulginginwardly from the inner surface thereof adjacent to the top and forminga continuous smooth and regular raised surface, and a cover having adownwardly depending'flange andan annular groove formed in said flange,the

portion of said flange belowsaid groove be-- ng formed with a smooth andregular outer surface adapted to register with the smooth and regularsurface of the belt in said body portion and the bottom edge turnedinwardly.

Signed at the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province ofOntario, in the Dominion of Canada this 1st day of August 1908.

JOHN FORSTER ROSS.

Witnesses H. DENNISON, E. HERON.

